You can make a mint from gold – to coin a phrase!
Since the earliest of times man has found uses for gold for both ornamental and religious purposes but also as a representation of wealth.
In more recent history – gold was used a currency and means of exchange between nations.
Current use of gold is split nearly 50/50 between jewellery vs investments and industrial use and its history as coinage has helped gold maintain appeal as an investment.
The first know gold coins were in use in Asia Minor around 600BC and gold coin became a popular European currency from the 14th century.
It was during the industrial era that bills (or cheques) gained popularity representing a face value redeemable in gold – which remained in the bank.
The value of gold is based on its purity. Pure gold is rated as 24 carats (k) and coins generally have another metal added to aid coin hardness which dilutes this purity. English gold crowns coins, which circulated from 1526 and into the 1930s were a standard 22k and American gold coins minted in the early 1800’s had a purity of 21.6k.
Today, gold coins for investment or collector purposes don’t get handled so much (they are certainly not seen in tip jars around town!), so they are minted at 24k. There are a few exceptions but it is the Special Issue Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin that has the highest purity at 99.999%.
Some gold coins you could find under the sofa cushions;
- Special Issue Canadian Gold Maple Leaf gold coin 24k 99.999%
- Canadian Gold Maple Leaf gold coin 24k 99.99%
- American Buffalo 24k 99.99%
- American Gold Eagle 22k (0.92)
- British gold sovereign 22k (0.92)
- South African Krugerand 22k (0.92)
If you do happen to find one of these coins under the sofa cushion, you may try to do what was an old tradition of biting a coin to check if it was genuine.
An early form of counterfeiting was to cover a lead “coin” in gold plate to pass it off as a full value gold coin. If the coin was a fake – the bite test would leave a clear indentation. A more professional test of the time was to cross check the weight of the coin against its size by passing the coin through a narrow slot.
At EzyCash GoldBuyers –you will be pleased to hear that you don’t need to worry about us breaking our dentures biting your gold coin to check its authenticity – we will use our fandangled analysis machine to do a quick, spit free and accurate test – and ensure you get the best possible price for your gold coins.
Gold Facts and History
English: Crystaline Gold (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
At EzyCash Goldbuyers – we thought it was time for a bit of a back to basics look at what gold is and where gold comes from – and that part may very well surprise you!
First off, we’ll take a look at what gold is – and why it is so heavy.
Gold is a metal and a chemical element – so in times past the pursuit of creating gold from other materials – mainly lead, was the beginning of chemistry as a science and profession. Gold has the symbol Au and atomic number 79 which doesn’t sound half as interesting as gold is!
Its colour will not tarnish when exposed to air or water and gold is solid in normal conditions which is why we hear so much about it as a nugget or grain.
The weight of gold is due to the fact that each atom has within it a large nuclei when compared to other metals and these atoms are also more densely packed together. Gold is often thought of as heavy like lead, however it is actually nearly twice the weight of lead.
Despite this density and weight – gold is incredibly malleable; A gold nugget of 5 mm round can be expanded through hammering into a gold foil of about 0.5 square meters and gold can even be flattened thin enough to be transparent. Flattened gold is known as gold leaf and these sheets of gold are used for decorations on foods and in beverages.
So Gold, apart from its general allure is amazingly versatile. Fancy food aside, gold is used in everything from jewellery and investments, as a standard for trade and security, in electronics, space suit sun visors and even heat resistant suits.
But it’s where all this gold that is used in so many places comes from that may surprise you. Whilst there is certainly a lot of gold in the earth – practically all of our “domestic” gold is probably irretrievable being close to the earth’s core having sunk there due to its mass when the earth first formed.
Surprise surprise – about half of the gold that has been mined since man first picked up a nugget is an import from outer space!
Yes that gold in your earring’s, or in the ring on your finger or even in the gold flake that you just ate with a very special dessert is probably from a meteorite that crashed to earth millions of years ago.
So there you go, aside from its near mystical appeal and allure – gold really is a gift from the stars.
Sell Luxury Watches for Cash
EzyCash Gold Buyers don’t just buy gold – we’re also always interested in buying luxury watches, and offer excellent cash prices for your old or new unwanted watch.
Luxury watches are a great investment as you can often sell them for an excellent cash price – perhaps you have an unwanted gift, you’ve inherited a timepiece, or you simply want the cash in order to upgrade to a newer luxury watch model!
We have many years experience in providing valuations for prestige watch brands. We consider all luxury and high quality brands, in particular Swiss watches, and some of the most popular that we deal with include: Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer, Cartier, Brietling, Patek Phillippe, Tissot, Chopard, among others. Watches from these well-respected brands hold their quality and have timeless style and class, so no matter how old your watch is, it could very well still receive an excellent cash price offer.
The team at EzyCash Gold Buyers are knowledgeable high-end second-hand watch buyers, so you can be sure that you’ll receive a fair appraisal and the best price for your old watch. Our watch buying service is straightforward, discreet and quick. We consider watches in any condition – from broken to brand new, and if it’s easier, we can even come to you with our mobile gold buying service.
Get Gold Tested Without Damage To Jewellery
EzyCash Gold Buyers now offers extremely accurate gold quality testing with the use of our new X-ray gold testing machine. This gold testing machine allows us to provide accurate readings on the quality of gold jewellery, gold pieces, coins and other gold plated items through non-destructive X-ray technology. This eliminates the need for messy, dangerous acid testing and ensures that your pieces of gold jewellery do not need to be damaged in order to determine their quality.
Read more on Accurate Gold Purity Analysis and Testing at EzyCash Gold Buyers.
Sell Broken Gold Jewellery with EzyCash Gold Buyers
Do you have broken jewellery that you can no longer wear? No problem. Customers often don’t realise that we are interested in any type of gold, including pieces that are broken, worn, or unwearable, such as broken gold chains, pieces of gold chain, misshapen gold ring and broken watches.
Ezycash Gold Buyers purchase a wide range of quality watch brands, gold jewellery and silver jewellery for an excellent cash price. We offer fair appraisals in line with market rates for gold, silver, platinum or palladium and will always present very competitive gold buying prices.
If you’re in need of some quick cash, or just keen to get rid of the old jewellery you have in your drawers, come in to see us at Ezycash Gold Buyers to trade in your old gold watch, investment piece or unwanted jewellery – it could be worth more than you realise. Our customers are frequently surprised at the high cash price they receive for their jewellery – especially broken gold jewellery that they didn’t realise could still be worth a good price.
So, whether it’s unworn, unwanted, antique or broken, bring in your luxury watches and gold jewellery – including white gold, yellow gold and rose gold – for a expert valuation – and walk out the door with an excellent cash payment. Pull out those broken bits and pieces and come in and see us in-store, or arrange for an Ezycash Mobile Gold Buyer to come visit you in the privacy of your own home.
Understanding Markings on your Gold and Silver Jewellery
If you own a piece of gold or silver jewellery, you have probably noticed that there are several markings stamped or etched on your piece. These marks are generally located on the inside of a ring or the underside or back of a pendant or bracelet. Gold chains may have a flattened piece of metal attached to the chain near the clasp which features the stamp, and some pendants may have a marking on the bail or loop supporting the pendant.
Because of their inconspicuous placement, these stamps will generally go unnoticed, however they do provide some information in regards to the value of your gold or silver jewellery. It is important to note though, that if you did not purchase your gold or silver jewellery from a reputable jeweller or dealer, the stamps on your jewellery may not be legitimate, so it’s best to get a valuation from a professional gold and jewellery valuer such as EzyCash Gold Buyers for more accurate information.
There are two main stamps or markings that you are likely to find on your gold or silver jewellery:
- Metal quality: For gold, this mark indicates the carats, or gold quality, of the piece of jewellery. It may be shown using abbreviations such as 24ct or 18ct or expressed using a decimal figure which denotes the percentage of gold, for example .416 (10ct).
For silver, quality marks may be used on silver jewellery that contains a minimum of 92.5% pure silver, and this may feature a stamp showing, 925, 92.5 or .925 - Trademark or maker’s stamp: The other mark is likely to be the trademark stamp, initials or logo of the manufacturer or jeweller who crafted the piece. This helps identify the origin, and often the age, of a piece of jewellery and therefore can assist with accurately appraising an item, particularly antique pieces.
EzyCash Gold Buyers offers a gold and silver jewellery valuation service, either in-store or from your own home using our mobile gold-buying service. We can value your gold, silver, diamonds and luxury watches and provide instant cash for your jewellery. So, if you have gold or silver jewellery you would like to exchange for cash, get in touch!
Understanding Gold Carats
Understanding Gold Carats
If you’ve ever bought a piece of gold jewellery, you’ve likely heard the piece described in terms of ‘carats’. The term carat is used as a unit of purity for gold, however carats can also be used to describe mass, or weight of stones such as diamonds or other gemstones. Understanding these terms and measurements can help you determine the value of your gold jewellery.
Due to the soft and pliable nature of gold, it is often mixed, or ‘alloyed’, with other metals such as copper or silver to make jewellery to add strength or hardness. The amount of metal added to the gold is measured to determine the final carat rating of the gold jewellery. Therefore, the carats are used to describe the level of pure gold in a piece of jewellery.
Each carat represents 1/24th of the whole, so 24-carat gold is pure gold, or 18-carat gold is made up of 18 parts gold and 6 parts of another type of metal, or alloys, such as copper (that is, 75% gold and 25% other metals) etc. The higher the number of carats, then the higher the gold content is in the piece of gold jewellery. This is used for both gold in the form of jewellery and also gold in bullion bars or coins.
It is standard practice for gold jewellery to be stamped with a marking that indicates this metal content. It will usually be placed somewhere inconspicuous on the piece where it will not be affected by size changes or near stones or designs.
Professional gold valuers will use certain measures to ascertain the purity of your gold pieces and determine its true value. At EzyCash Gold Buyers we provide fair and accurate valuations for gold jewellery, watches, diamonds and gold pieces and will offer a fair cash price in exchange for your jewellery.
Diamond Prices Breaking Records
Do you like a bit of bling with your jewellery? How about $30million worth?! That’s how much a flawless 118-carat diamond recently sold for at auction with Sotheby’s. The egg-sized diamond was discovered in 2011 in a mine in South Africa and was originally a whopping 299 carats before it was cut.
This price, supposedly at the low-end of its estimated price, beats a previous auction-price record for a white diamond of $26 million just six months earlier. However this record-breaking gem may not hold its top spot for long, with Sotheby’s putting a 60-carat pink diamond on the block in November this year, which is expected to fetch more than $60 million at auction.
While this giant stone may have been an exceptional record-breaker, smaller collectible diamonds are also currently achieving big prices as markets see large jewels as portable stores of wealth.
So if you’ve got diamonds sitting around at home, they really might just be your new best friend as they may be worth much more than you realise. However diamond prices and vary widely, depending on size, colour and quality, so it’s best to only have your diamonds valued by a reputable dealer.
Bring your diamonds, both loose and jewellery-mounted, into EzyCash Gold Buyers for a valuation and we’ll make you an offer. Our valuers are experienced, and only offer fair and reasonable valuations based on real market prices.
The price of gold is on the up – now is the time to make your move!
The price of gold is on the up, so now is a great time to sell your unwanted gold, silver and diamond jewellery and luxury watches.
While it’s generally always a safe bet that you’re going to get a good price for your gold, like any commodity it has its ups and downs, so it’s good to convert your assets to cash while the market is looking its best. You may have seen recent news reports that gold is making a resurgence, so why not take this opportunity to dig out that old gold jewellery and watches from storage while the price is still trending up and make the most of your investments!
EzyCash Gold Buyers will always give you a completely fair and honest market valuation of your gold, silver or diamond jewellery and watches. We have professional on-site valuers in our Panmure store in Auckland, or our Auckland-wide mobile valuation service can come to you. This is a discreet service that makes it convenient and efficient for you to receive gold and jewellery valuations in the comfort and privacy of your home or office.
If you’re having a spring clean at home, it’s likely you’ve come across a few pieces of broken, old or unwanted jewellery. Now is a great opportunity to bring them in for a valuation – you might be surprised at the price you can get, even for broken or scrap pieces!
Contact EzyCash Gold Buyers to arrange a valuation appointment for your gold jewellery and watches today on 09 570 1511.
Sell Diamond Jewellery and Get Cash Now
Sell Diamond Jewellery and Get Cash Now
Dig out those diamonds – Cash for your diamonds at EzyCash Gold Buyers
Sell Diamond Rings and more!
It’s time for a spring clean, so while you’re clearing out those drawers and wardrobes, why not dig out those old diamond rings and engagement diamond rings and bring them in for a valuation at EzyCash Gold Buyers? It could help you free up a little cash for Christmas or help clear that credit card debt that’s been niggling at you.
Or have you been thinking that your own diamond ring is looking a little dated or worn now, and perhaps it’s time for an upgrade? Instead of leaving them to sit unworn in your drawer, bring them in to EzyCash Gold Buyers and exchange them for cash – many of our customers are often surprised at the high price they can receive in exchange for their gold, jewellery and watches.
Whether you’re in need of some quick cash, or just curious to find out the value of your diamond jewellery, we offer fair valuations and wholesale cash price for your unwanted diamond rings and diamond jewellery, even if they are dated, worn or damaged.
We pay top price for diamonds and we are always on the lookout for both loose diamonds and ring-mounted diamonds to buy, in particular stones over 1 carat.
Don’t let your diamond rings just collect dust – bring them in for a valuation and we’ll make you an offer – we promise to pay the best possible market price.
Sell in Private
